Category Archives: Other Applications

Jemella in Pandanus

Background

By the mid 1990’s a small fatid Jammella australiae, a native of Northern Australia was devestating Pandanus Palms along the Southern Coast of Queensland.
Surveys in Noosa National Park of 3200 palms showed a high correlation between fatid numbers and tree health with up to 500,000 on a single tree. By 1996 25% of palms where dead and 66% in poor health, worst of all, no plants under seven years old could be found.
Chemical pesticide trials with Bayer Imidacloprid Insecticide directly injected into branches with a Sidewinder Injector where initiated and under the supervision of Qld. DPI
As can be seen for the accompanying images the high profile public places where most of the palms are located precludes the use of a spray or ground injection delivery systems. Some palms are growing from fissures in rocky shore lines and cliff faces.
Bayer Imidacloprid proved very effective, trial trees showed no sign of reinfestation after 16 months while surrounding control trees had all died.
The trial proved that the insecticide could be applied inlocations of very high environmental sensitivity with an almost total acceptance by the general public.
All trees in the Noosa National Park were injected and the process has become standard treatment in private and public trees along that part of the Australian Coast.

Acknowledgment.
Material used in this article taken from report prepared by Dr. Dan Smith Senior Entomologist QDPI and N. Smith Entomologist QDEnv.

When injecting trees in public places it is good practice to seal the holes with the Sidewinder plastic plugs.

Warning — Read the pesticide manufacturers label before using with this injector system. It is an offence to use product for a purpose or in a manor other than as stated on that label, unless there is in place a current 24/c permit for the purpose proposed.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE THIS OR ANY SIDEWINDER INJECTORS TO BE USED WITH UNBUFFERED PHOSPHOROUS OR PHOSPHORIC ACID PRODUCTS SUCH AS 0-60-0 AS IT COULD CAUSE SUDDEN FAILURE OF SOME INJECTOR PARTS AND PLACE THE OPERATOR AT RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY.

Psyllids in Eucalypts

The problem sap sucking Psyllid causing defoliation of Eucalypts has been increasing in Australia for many years.

The Red gum lerp psyllid (Glycaspis brimblecombei) was found in Los Angeles in 1998 and has spread throughout much of California.

This insect from Australia also is found in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, and Mexico on a variety of eucalyptus species.

Red gum lerp psyllid infests over two dozen Eucalyptus species. In California this psyllid prefers river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), flooded gum (E. rudis), and forest red gum (E. tereticornis). Certain Eucalyptus species are avoided or are not heavily infested by this psyllid

Eucalyptus trees in California are attacked by at least 14 other introduced insects, including the bluegum psyllid (Ctenarytaina eucalypti), eucalyptus longhorned borers (Phoracantha recurva and P. semipunctata), and eucalyptus snout beetle or gumtree weevil (Gonipterus scutellatus), which are now under good biological control.

It has proven beneficial to learn how management efforts may affect the other introduced eucalyptus pests before taking any control actions. In particular, consult the Pest Notes on eucalyptus longhorned borers, eucalyptus tortoise beetle, and psyllids.

Years of research into biological control via introduction of predatory wasps from Australia at UC Berkeley have proved ineffective.

Current Californian Chemical Control

Chemicals that are currently registered in California for control of psyllids using two different methods of application, ie via ground injection and trunk injection via prepackaged capsules.

Comparisons between both these delivery systems with Sidewinder’s Injection Technique not only shows a difference in application efficiency, but a more cost effective solution using the Sidewinder.

A trial carried out in Australia by the Keith Tumbull Research Institute 1997/98 verifying the effectiveness of Bayer Imidacloprid against the carriers of “DED” in elm trees via ground injection, trunk injected with capsules and trunk injected with Sidewinder showed all three systems have good control.

Does he sound like your average county / municipal weed control officer?

Sounds more like an endangered species!

Sidewinder never was and never will be a threat to this man.

However if your looking for what’s considered by many as the safest method of herbicide delivery, both from an environmental and work place practice view, please continue.

Q.D.N.R. trial work done treating Schinus terebinthifolius along Oxley Creek an inner city waterway Brisbane, Aust. The shinus were displacing native mangroves eucalypts etc, site was a wildlife and fish breading area with a high public presence.
Schinus mortality 100% collateral damage zero.

Recommended Dose Rates Sidewinder
Excellent results will be achieved by applying the same amount of active per injection as the herbicide manufactures “cut and swab” or “stem injection” recommendation, then diluting this with water to give a total of a 5 ml dose, one swing on the pump handle. Sidewinder works better by placing +90% of the shot precisely within the conductive xylem zone.

Feral tree removal project part funded by WWF for Nature and local council on the banks of the North Maroochy River, Yandina, Queensland, sensitive location with platypus occupying adjacent waterholes.

Multi stemmed camphor laurel being given a lethal dose of herbicide, all stems must be injected separately.
Don’t forget if your working in an environmentally sensitive area or public places use the patented Sidewinder injection site sealing plugs, good PR & insurance.

Warning — Read the pesticide manufacturers label before using with this injector system. It is an offence to use product for a purpose or in a manor other than as stated on that label, unless there is in place a current 24/c permit for the purpose proposed.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE THIS OR ANY SIDEWINDER INJECTORS TO BE USED WITH UNBUFFERED PHOSPHOROUS OR PHOSPHORIC ACID PRODUCTS SUCH AS 0-60-0 AS IT COULD CAUSE SUDDEN FAILURE OF SOME INJECTOR PARTS AND PLACE THE OPERATOR AT RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY.

Forest Trees

We all have some childhood memories that seem to be revisited regularly, one of the writer’s is from just after WW2 of the clattering rumble of fully laded brewery trucks, with iron wheels, solid rubber tyres, traversing the inner city streets of Sydney, Australia.

The source of the noise was not just the ancient beer trucks for these streets were paved with brick sized blocks of that magnificent hardwood timber Eucalyptus marginata commonly know as Jarrah.

Today you would have difficulty finding many E. marginate in their native rangeland that don’t resemble the images opposite and at the bottom of this page, the culprit being Phytophthora Cinnimomi root rot fungus.

P. Cinnimomi is said to be effecting some 2000 out of 6000 native plant species in Western Australia with some small localised sub species under threat of extinction.

Image on left is of a Californian Native Oak being injected with potassium phosphonate during trials by the SOD Research Team.

SOD or Sudden Oak Death is a recent, 1995, and growing problem in native oaks and other plants in California, the cause has recently been identified as the pathogenic fungi, Phytophthora romorum.

The disease is thought to be spread by the movement of infected wood soil and rainwater.

For an up to date review of all aspects of current research, action plans, affected and host plants see,

Urban as well as plantation coconut palms are susceptible to phytophthora attack, image on left shows highly valued resort palms in the Hawaiian Islands being treated by phosphonate injection.

Treatment of Phytophthora cinnimomi in E marginata

Fortunately P. cinnimomi can be controlled in E. marginata, injection of potassium phosphonate gives from 4 to 6 years protection, unfortunately the scale of the problem is so large in native habitats, financial constraints mean only trees in high profile places are treated.

When injecting trees in public places it is good practice to seal the holes with the Sidewinder plastic plugs.

Warning — Read the pesticide manufacturers label before using with this injector system. It is an offence to use product for a purpose or in a manor other than as stated on that label, unless there is in place a current 24/c permit for the purpose proposed.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE THIS OR ANY SIDEWINDER INJECTORS TO BE USED WITH UNBUFFERED PHOSPHOROUS OR PHOSPHORIC ACID PRODUCTS SUCH AS 0-60-0 AS IT COULD CAUSE SUDDEN FAILURE OF SOME INJECTOR PARTS AND PLACE THE OPERATOR AT RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY.